SDI continues developing their eLearning platform, allowing divers to complete the academic portion of the Solo Diving certification online. In 1999 SDI (Scuba Diving International) launched its controversial Solo Diver Course, a program that taught recreational sport divers what tools and techniques would help them stay safe when diving on their own. This was something no other training agency had dared do before. Today, SDI continues to lead the industry by being the first and only certification agency to offer a Solo Diver Course online. This marks the 20th online scuba dive course offered in SDI’s eLearning classroom system.

Solo diving, once considered technical diving and discouraged by most certification agencies, is now seen by many experienced divers and some certification agencies as an acceptable practice for those divers suitably trained and experienced. Rather than relying on the traditional buddy diving safety system, solo divers are trained to be skilled in self-sufficiency and are willing to take responsibility for their own safety while diving.

At one point or another, you will be diving alone, whether you want to or not.

The course stresses proper dive planning, personal limitations, and accident prevention, as well as the benefits, hazards, and proper procedures for diving solo. You will also learn the additional equipment that is required for solo diving, including its proper usage and assembly. This is the perfect course for underwater photographers and underwater videographers, as well as those diving with their children or buddies who may not be very experienced in scuba diving.

Bob Halstead says, “I believe that all divers should be trained primarily as self-sufficient – solo – divers. They must learn to take personal responsibility for their actions in the water. If they are not capable of this, then they should still be in the care of an instructor. But the present hypocrisy that states that solo diving is unsafe while paying lip service to a buddy system that is so obviously failing is slowing the development of diving and increasing its danger needlessly.”

I fully agree that the diver should be first trained to be self sufficient. I also believe that this is at it’s heart a technical dive and the curriculum should reflect as such. Redundancy such as doubles, valve drills, buoyancy, and gear configurations would certainly compliment a solo diver. With the constant reduction in standards, e-learning and “learning by internet” we see heated debates in the forums and a false sense of accomplishment from watered down courses which promotes less than competent divers to believe they are ready for dives they that the clearly are not. We have the technology to make these dives safer and safer but the behavioral element of the new generation of diver is not keeping pace. A cursory glance at the forums and on site show us divers continually making dives far beyond their ability in part due to marketing and relaxed standards. Complacency kills in all aspects of life. I believe we are on the precipice of pushing the new diver at the recreational level beyond safe diving practices. The only people that complain about high standards are the ones that can’t meet them. We as a community should make sure we don’t let our standards slip to ensure safe diving not to meet market demand.

Thank you for your insight. SDI is and will continue to promote safety first when it comes to diving education. It is for this exact reason that SDI developed the Solo Diving program. Many divers have been doing this for a long time without the opportunity to get proper training. By standardizing, and more importantly defining what it means to be a solo diver, SDI has addressed the lack of training issue for divers.

Hi
We have been doing some technical dives 40 – 60m for a while off Sydney & the usual Pacific locations. I have not undertaken the “Solo Diver” course however I practice “Drills” (ie Isolating Tanks, Deploying Redundency, Referring to Plan / No cumputer situations etc) on a regular basis assuming a malfunction of gear or my Buddy is Narced off his face or is not responding.
I consider this course should be a pre-requisite to Deep Course, Deco Proceedures or Extended Range courses as at these depths a diver must be a competent and totally independent “Solo Diver” to save himself & make judgement on the “situation” or other divers.
Finally I consider this training worthwhile as no matter how competent a Diver is there is always some value to be gained from formal Training.

Thanks for your comment Bruce. That’s great to hear your practicing drills and preparing for the unknown. We couldn’t agree more about the value of solo training and we hope you to see a Solo card with your name on it soon.

We are one of the managers of diving activities located in Jakarta, Indonesia. I currently have a license as a Dive Instructor. After reading the news on the web site SDI I intend to be a dealer in Indonesia scuba course.